NAPTIP thwarts Saudi-bound illegal minor domestic workers

Dame Julie Okah-Donli, Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

Eight minors and 19 women who were billed to travel to Saudi Arabia for illegal domestic work have been arrested in Abuja.The Agency alleged that the rescued persons, who are from Kano state, were going to Saudi Arabia for suspected domestic servitude.

It said the rescue operation was a result of intelligence gathered about the impending trip, which also led to the arrest of three suspected human traffickers, namely: Hamisu Ibrahim, Sanusi Usman, and Sabiu Sule. The arrested suspects are officials of Kabo Travel and Tours Ltd, based in Kano. Kabo Travel and Tours Ltd and another Kano based Company Halal Travel and Tours were facilitating the trip.

The victims were rescued from the Vfs TasHeel International’s office, Central Business Area Abuja where their agents had taken them to for data capturing before their onward journey to Saudi Arabia. Other suspects working with Halal Travel and Tours Ltd, who were also part of the facilitators of the trip, are still at large, and investigation into the case is ongoing.

The arrests and rescue came on the heels of increased reports of exploitation being meted out on Nigerians who had gone to seek employment as domestic employees in Saudi Arabia and other countries.

The Director-general of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli reiterated her resolve to prevent young Nigerians seeking employment outside the shores of Nigeria from being exploited and promised that the suspects, if found culpable, will be duly prosecuted.

In a related development, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Number 28 sitting in Apo, Abuja, has remanded a 40-year – old man, Alex Okafor in prison custody for an alleged act of violence and inflicting injuries on his three children. The three children (names withheld) are aged eight, 10 and 11 years.
His remand was sequel to his arraignment by NAPTIP and his inability to meet the bail conditions granted him by the Court.

He was charged with willfully inflicting physical injury on his three children (two daughters and one son) using horse whip (koboko) and electric wire thereby committing an offence punishable under section 2(11) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.

After the charges were read over to him the defendant pleaded not guilty to all the counts in the charge sheet. His Counsel Maxwell Alaeto moved an application before the Court relying on a nine – paragraph affidavit and a written address to support his request.

The Prosecution led by Offiah Sam opposed the motion for bail with a 20 – paragraph counter affidavit on the ground that the defendant constitutes a threat to the children who he constantly unleashes terror on.

Ruling on the bail application, the Presiding Judge, Honourable Justice Valentine B. Ashi, ruled that since there was nothing inform of attachment to justify the oral submission on the alleged act of violence being committed by the defendant against the children, the court must uphold his fundamental right to bail.The Court therefore granted him bail in the sum of N500, 000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) and two sureties in like some one of which must be his Pastor and another person a Civil Servant.The defendant could not fulfil the bail conditions and was thereafter remanded in Kuje prison pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.